More Images

After 44 Years, Donald Roberts Hanging Up His Barber's Clippers

But Fort Meade's barber shop will remain open under new owner

Donald Roberts, 64, owner of Roberts Barber Shop, cuts the hair of regular customer Wallace McLeroy, of Fort Meade, Tuesday. Roberts is retiring after 44 years cutting hair at his shop in downtown Fort Meade. Roberts, who was born and raised in Fort Meade, opened his barber shop in February 1969.

Published: Friday, September 20, 2013 at 4:10 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, September 21, 2013 at 5:06 a.m.

FORT MEADE | More than four decades ago, Donald Roberts trimmed his first head of hair in downtown Fort Meade.

Gas sold for 35 cents a gallon back then. Richard Nixon was still in the White House. And Jimi Hendrix hadn't played at the Woodstock music festival yet.

"It's been a long time," Roberts said this week, "and I'm ready to call it a day."

When he hangs up his clippers at the end of this month, some say that simple act will signal the end of an era in this little town.

Mike Dukes, 44, is one of them.

"He's been cutting my hair since I had to use one of those booster chairs," he said. "Everybody who comes here knows Donald is the life of the place. If you want to know what's going on in Fort Meade, you come see Donald."

Roberts was barely out of high school in February 1969 when he bought the shop at 112 W. Broadway St. He assumed a tradition dating to 1898 and was only the fourth barber to add his name to that succession.

He'll be 65 on Thursday, which is triggering this transition.

His protégé of 10 years, Danny Lane, will become the fifth barber there next week when he takes ownership of the building and the three-chair business. At least for now, the new owner has no plans to change the name.

"When the insurance comes due," Roberts said, grinning, "I won't have to worry about it. I can go fishing."

And Roberts always seemed to have a good fishing story up his sleeve when he's had someone in his chair.

"We have a good time here," he said. "If you come in here and you don't want to joke around and have fun, you have come to wrong place."

And that, say his clients, is why Roberts Barber Shop remains open after so many decades.

"There's kind of a brotherly feeling about the place," said Robert Garner, who drove 10 miles from Bartow to see Roberts before moving to Fort Meade. "You come in here, and you feel like you've known everybody all your life."

It's no wonder.

The worn edges on three wooden benches in the 600-square-foot shop give testament to the parade of clients who have waited there for their turn in chair over the decades.

There's no computer, though. Instead, there's a vintage cash register that began ringing up sales long before Robert came along.

"This thing came out of the Fort Meade Bakery, which was down by the railroad tracks," he said. "Everything still works in it, too, but we don't use the keys. We just put the money in it. The keys only go up to $2."

Lane said that 148-pound relic won't go anywhere when he takes over.

"I'm really into the history of this place," he said. "I plan to make some cosmetic improvements, but I'll keep it as a traditional, vintage barber shop."

The menagerie of stuffed wildlife once decorated the shop's walls — a nod to Roberts' passion for hunting, fishing and all things outdoors. But he's loaned the deer, duck and other trophies to Wallace McLeroy in the gun shop a couple of doors down.

There remains, though, the vintage barber shop sign with the shingle "Flat-Top Specialist" dangling from the bottom, along with the three barber chairs Roberts brought in a few years after he bought the business.

What's not there is the original marble backbar that spanned the east wall in the shop.

"Like a dummy, I was going to modernize the shop and took that out," he said. "That was the biggest mistake I ever made. Boy, I wish I hadn't done that.

"I think my uncle used it to make windowsills for his house," Roberts said, shaking his head. "It hurts to think about it."

Have there been down times in his 44-year career.

"Oh sure," he said. "In the 1970s, when people were letting their hair grow long — shoot, they'd go three or four months between haircuts. But I survived it."

When Roberts bought the shop in 1969, two other barbers competed for the town's business.

"They told me I wouldn't be here in two years," he recalled. "They're gone, and I've been here ever since."

Roberts worked alone for nearly two decades, then added a couple more barbers after the other shops closed.

Lane, a 35-year-old Fort Meade native, came in 10 years ago and was joined by Randi Sackett in 2006.

Robert A. Douglas Sr. said he's been getting haircuts at that shop for all of his 80 years.

"It's just a little country shop, and we're just country folks," he said. "It's nothing special, it's just home."

Roberts has been charging $12 for a haircut for about five years now.

"It was $1.50 when I started," he said. "I go up $1 every five years or so, whether I need to or not."

A quick survey revealed the going rate for a man's haircut in nearby cities is about $20.

Roberts hasn't escaped comparisons with the legendary Floyd's Barber Shop of "The Andy Griffith Show" on TV, and he embraces it.

"There's too much hustle and bustle in this world, and if you can come here and get away from that for awhile, it's good," he said.

Dukes said he looks forward to his visits there.

"If you ever came here and you were gloomy," he said, "when you left, you were smiling, and that's the truth."

[ Suzie Schottelkotte can be reached at suzie.schottelkotte@theledger.com or 863-533-9070. ]

<p>FORT MEADE | More than four decades ago, Donald Roberts trimmed his first head of hair in downtown Fort Meade. </p><p>Gas sold for 35 cents a gallon back then. Richard Nixon was still in the White House. And Jimi Hendrix hadn't played at the Woodstock music festival yet.</p><p>"It's been a long time," Roberts said this week, "and I'm ready to call it a day."</p><p>When he hangs up his clippers at the end of this month, some say that simple act will signal the end of an era in this little town.</p><p>Mike Dukes, 44, is one of them.</p><p>"He's been cutting my hair since I had to use one of those booster chairs," he said. "Everybody who comes here knows Donald is the life of the place. If you want to know what's going on in Fort Meade, you come see Donald."</p><p>Roberts was barely out of high school in February 1969 when he bought the shop at 112 W. Broadway St. He assumed a tradition dating to 1898 and was only the fourth barber to add his name to that succession. </p><p>He'll be 65 on Thursday, which is triggering this transition.</p><p>His protégé of 10 years, Danny Lane, will become the fifth barber there next week when he takes ownership of the building and the three-chair business. At least for now, the new owner has no plans to change the name.</p><p>"When the insurance comes due," Roberts said, grinning, "I won't have to worry about it. I can go fishing."</p><p>And Roberts always seemed to have a good fishing story up his sleeve when he's had someone in his chair.</p><p>"We have a good time here," he said. "If you come in here and you don't want to joke around and have fun, you have come to wrong place."</p><p>And that, say his clients, is why Roberts Barber Shop remains open after so many decades. </p><p>"There's kind of a brotherly feeling about the place," said Robert Garner, who drove 10 miles from Bartow to see Roberts before moving to Fort Meade. "You come in here, and you feel like you've known everybody all your life."</p><p>It's no wonder.</p><p>The worn edges on three wooden benches in the 600-square-foot shop give testament to the parade of clients who have waited there for their turn in chair over the decades.</p><p>There's no computer, though. Instead, there's a vintage cash register that began ringing up sales long before Robert came along.</p><p>"This thing came out of the Fort Meade Bakery, which was down by the railroad tracks," he said. "Everything still works in it, too, but we don't use the keys. We just put the money in it. The keys only go up to $2."</p><p>Lane said that 148-pound relic won't go anywhere when he takes over.</p><p>"I'm really into the history of this place," he said. "I plan to make some cosmetic improvements, but I'll keep it as a traditional, vintage barber shop."</p><p>The menagerie of stuffed wildlife once decorated the shop's walls — a nod to Roberts' passion for hunting, fishing and all things outdoors. But he's loaned the deer, duck and other trophies to Wallace McLeroy in the gun shop a couple of doors down. </p><p>There remains, though, the vintage barber shop sign with the shingle "Flat-Top Specialist" dangling from the bottom, along with the three barber chairs Roberts brought in a few years after he bought the business.</p><p>What's not there is the original marble backbar that spanned the east wall in the shop.</p><p>"Like a dummy, I was going to modernize the shop and took that out," he said. "That was the biggest mistake I ever made. Boy, I wish I hadn't done that.</p><p>"I think my uncle used it to make windowsills for his house," Roberts said, shaking his head. "It hurts to think about it."</p><p>Have there been down times in his 44-year career.</p><p>"Oh sure," he said. "In the 1970s, when people were letting their hair grow long — shoot, they'd go three or four months between haircuts. But I survived it."</p><p>When Roberts bought the shop in 1969, two other barbers competed for the town's business. </p><p>"They told me I wouldn't be here in two years," he recalled. "They're gone, and I've been here ever since."</p><p>Roberts worked alone for nearly two decades, then added a couple more barbers after the other shops closed. </p><p>Lane, a 35-year-old Fort Meade native, came in 10 years ago and was joined by Randi Sackett in 2006. </p><p>Robert A. Douglas Sr. said he's been getting haircuts at that shop for all of his 80 years. </p><p>"It's just a little country shop, and we're just country folks," he said. "It's nothing special, it's just home."</p><p>Roberts has been charging $12 for a haircut for about five years now. </p><p>"It was $1.50 when I started," he said. "I go up $1 every five years or so, whether I need to or not."</p><p>A quick survey revealed the going rate for a man's haircut in nearby cities is about $20.</p><p>Roberts hasn't escaped comparisons with the legendary Floyd's Barber Shop of "The Andy Griffith Show" on TV, and he embraces it.</p><p>"There's too much hustle and bustle in this world, and if you can come here and get away from that for awhile, it's good," he said.</p><p>Dukes said he looks forward to his visits there.</p><p>"If you ever came here and you were gloomy," he said, "when you left, you were smiling, and that's the truth."</p><p>[ Suzie Schottelkotte can be reached at suzie.schottelkotte@theledger.com or 863-533-9070. ]</p>